Korean government rejected his request for an extension on the grounds that he’d spent too much time in Korea to be considered a foreign resident. As a rifleman in an Army infantry unit, Bae said his duty “had nothing to do with golf” but it was still a great learning experience. “I did a lot of weight lifting and running to improve my conditioning, and I am not concerned about my fitness level at all,” he said. “Even though I didn’t get to play much, I grew to love golf even more.” Bae said he only played when he was on leave. Those off-field workouts in the military have helped ease nagging back and hip pain, and the subsequent weight loss has improved his swing speed. “I played with some close friends on the [Korean] pro tour, so that I could stay sharp,” Bae said. “There were days when I played as well as I did on the PGA Tour. I don’t think my time away will have much of a negative impact on my career. I believe I’ll play even better than before.” Bae won the HP Byron Nelson Championship in 2013 and Frys.com Open in 2014. He is one of five Koreans to win on the PGA Tour. The PGA Tour has allowed Bae to retain his membership during his military service. He’s scheduled to rejoin the tour in October at the start of the 2017-18 season. Bae said he put in a lot of hours doing mental training, and he feels he will have “a vastly different attitude on the course.” “I’ll do my best at every moment, but I won’t try to rush myself,” he said. “I’ll take it one day at a time.”